Johnny Patterson on LBC: Britain extending rights to BNOs is a domestic issue, not interference in China's affairs

Johnny Patterson, Director of Hong Kong Watch, was interviewed on LBC on 6 July 2020, following China’s UK Ambassador’s statement warning the UK not to interfere with Hong Kong.

In response to the Ambassador’s comments, Patterson said that the British response was a proportionate, necessary diplomatic intervention to the imposition of the National Security Law by China which represents a breach of the handover agreement between the Chinese and the British government. The Law is an assault on the human rights and freedoms of Hong Kong’s people, rights which are protected in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Britain has a stake in the issue and its response is an important diplomatic one.

He continued to underline that the extension of rights to British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders is clearly a domestic issue as Britain has the right to make policy changes to its own nationals, and therefore it is not an interference in China’s affairs.

Listen to the full interview below:

(Photo: Studio Incendo)